Turnabout is Fair Play
by cypsiman2
Summary: With the KC Grand Prix finally over, the pharaoh recalls the time that Yuugi had set him up with Anzu, and decides that turnabout is fair play. Peachshipping.


I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its associated properties.

Turnabout is Fair Play

At last the KC Grand Prix had been concluded, and Yuugi, or rather the Nameless Pharaoh who used Yuugi's body to act in this world to be more precise, had emerged victorious against Leon. He'd hoped that at least this tournament would just be that, but thanks to Siegfried von Schroeder, even this was venue had been tainted by needlessly high stakes, and he'd so looked forward to just being able to relax and have some fun. Now the others, his friends, had made their way down from their seats above the stage, and now they had him surrounded, cheering him on for a duel well fought.

"All right Yuugi!" Jounouchi yelled, "Now we can finally get back home! I don't know about you guys, but I've had enough of this crazy place for one lifetime."

"Yes." Honda replied, "Because Domino city has been such a bastion of normalcy as of late." With that Jounouchi and Honda had started up yet another verbal sparing match, which was still an improvement over the fisticuffs they used to drop to on a whim. Then Mokuba came up to the group and presented the airline tickets that he'd promised as prize for participating in the tournament, as well as another set of tickets altogether.

"Mokuba," Anzu said "What are these other tickets for?" The grade-school aged vice-president smiled a grin that carried only a hint of his nature as a Kaiba.

"Those are to let you have free use of the overnight facilities here at Kaiba Land. I know the plan was to get you on the quickest flight back to Domino, but unfortunately the weather's gotten really bad for the route you'd have to take, so the earliest you can leave is tomorrow. But hey, at least this way you can enjoy Kaiba Land the way it was meant to be!" And with that Mokuba ran off, looking to all the world like any other twelve year old kid, belying his true nature not at all.

It now seemed to the Pharaoh that there was going to be some real downtime now, and thus a chance for his partner to have some time of his own without him stealing it away from him. He looked as his friends debated amongst themselves what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go, and then he noticed it, just for a moment. Anzu and Rebecca shared a brief glare, such that you'd imagine them shooting bolts of lightning from their eyes at each other. His partner didn't like to talk or think about it, but it was impossible to notice the attention that Rebecca had paid to him, and how little Anzu seemed to care for it. A plan came to the Pharaoh, one reminiscent of a ploy that had been played on him some time ago by Yuugi, and while the long-term consequences of that ploy were for the best, he still hadn't felt comfortable with it, considering how much _he_ must have wanted to have that day for himself. Well, he was going to get that day now, and he was going to appreciate it.

"Anzu, I need to speak to you about today's plans. Do you mind if we walk as we talk" She seemed startled, but that was to be expected. He'd never meant to, but he'd managed to stir strong feelings in her, feelings that he could recognize in what his partner felt for her, and while he might take his Yuugi's body and voice, he'd never take her. It just wasn't done. There were times when it seemed like Anzu could have these feelings for _him_, but ever since Battle City there wasn't time to explore the matter. Now there was time, and he was going to do what was right for his partner. Before Anzu could respond though, Rebecca came up to him and stared into his eyes, scrutinizing him, but for what?

"All right, it's just the Pharaoh, I've got no interest in him. You two make sure to let me know when you're done so I can have some time with my darling before he leaves tomorrow. Just make sure you call first so that I can prepare too." And with that the child prodigy duelist walked off in the direction of her contingent of fans, which was sizable enough for her placing in the tournament as well as status as U.S. Champion. She was certainly a strange one, but it was rather amusing to contemplate that there was a girl who was so into his partner that she'd never look at him twice. Still plans are plans, and he was going to see this one through. Anzu quickly shot daggers at Rebecca before turning to the Pharaoh.

"Uh, sure thing, Yuugi." That's right, he didn't have a name of his own, and until they were able to recover it, they were going to have to keep calling him Yuugi. He didn't mind being with his partner, and if he could, he would have tried to keep things this way forever, but he wanted to stay as himself, and it didn't seem as thought that would be possible. Still, there was no sense in dwelling on such heady matters at the moment, not when more down to earth matters demanded his attention. "So, what ideas did you have for today?"

"Actually Anzu, there was another reason I wanted us to walk away from the others. I didn't want them to overhear, but lately, my partner has been feeling rather depressed." A quizzical look crossed Anzu's face.

"Huh? Yuugi's been on the surface plenty of times today, and he seemed just fine to me." The Pharaoh smiled very quickly. It seemed that this time Anzu was going to be a willing participant, but the plan was going to go on.

"I know that he puts up a good front, but something's got him down, and he won't talk to me about it. I think he might be willing to open up to you about it. I mean, you two are very close, so if he won't talk to me, maybe he'll talk to you."

"Seriously, aside from that _Vivian_ woman, I can't think of anything that would bring him down… actually, now that you mention it, he has seemed a little off. Thank you for bringing this up. I'm actually feeling a bit peckish, so why don't we do this at that restaurant over there?" Perfect. All is going according to plan.

"That sounds like a great idea Anzu. Why don't we meet there in ten minutes?" She nodded before rushing off. I could guess at what she was going to do, but I didn't want to be presumptuous. Besides, I had one more thing to take care of on this end. I'm not sure when my partner decided I needed privacy, but it was probably when I started talking to Anzu. It was at the very latest when Rebecca started studying me, but either way, he wouldn't know what was coming in advance. Good.

"Partner, I need to talk to you for a moment. And don't worry, you're not intruding on Anzu's time." At that, Yuugi appeared at his side, his spirit seeming to be right there. He looked so innocent, so unassuming, that something in the Pharaoh was compelling him to grab him by the neck and give him a great big noogie, right then and there. Even if it weren't socially inappropriate, the fact that Yuugi was incorporeal at this time would have precluded it anyway. Fortunately, what he had planned was far better then any mere noogie.

"What is it, other me?" It was in fact right when the other him had spoken to Anzu that he'd gone into hiding. After all, how many chances did Anzu get to be alone with the other him? Especially now that they were so close to uncovering his true memories, it was soon going to be time for him to leave, despite how much they both wanted him to stay. But, what could the other him possibly need to talk to him about now? If he could bring himself to believe it, he'd think that the other him was going to be asking him for advice, but that was just plain ludicrous. "I thought that you were going to be spending time with Anzu."

The nameless Pharaoh smiled. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. You've known Anzu for years, so I'd like it if you'd be willing to back me up, tell me things that I ought to know. And don't you dare insist that I can take care of this on my own. You know how badly this went the last time, so just be helpful. You're my partner, so help me out here." He could see the thoughts as they formed on Yuugi's incorporeal face, and just beneath the self-doubt that would keep him from seeing what he was really trying to do. The inevitable conclusion was reached in only a minute.

"Sure thing, other me. I suppose I can stick my neck out for you, just this once." You've no idea, thought the nameless Pharaoh, just how far out you're going to be sticking out that neck of yours. He smirked, making sure that Yuugi's spirit wouldn't be able to see it.

* * *

The _Duelist Deus Château_ was of course the finest restaurant available at Kaiba Land, and of course since he was the champion of the KC Grand Prix, 'Yuugi' had no difficulty getting the best seats available for himself and Anzu. The waiters provided them with their menu's and informed them that they could signal the moment that they'd made their decision, and there was a dedicated staff that was awaiting their order, so they wouldn't have to wait long for anything. The Pharaoh looked at his "guest" across the table, noting that even though no such specification had been made, this was definitely a couple's table, a point he knew wouldn't go unnoticed by Yuugi. It certainly didn't escape his partner's notice, though he didn't say anything, of course. As for Anzu, she'd definitely managed to work something akin to a miracle in the past ten minutes. Maybe it was Yuugi's bias seeping into his perception, but there seemed now to be a hundred subtle changes to her appearance that elevated her from pretty to beautiful. No, it was definitely Yuugi's bias; there was no objective way to think that the way she was reading the menu was simply beautiful. Well, there was no sense in waiting any longer. "Well Anzu, are you ready for our guest to arrive?" She nodded, just a little nervously. 

"Other me, who are you talking about?" The Pharaoh laughed inwardly.

"Why, you of course." And just like that, the two Yuugi's switched places, and the Pharaoh buried himself so deep in the puzzle that Yuugi would never be able to reach him. He was going to be on his own, and he was going to appreciate it.

As for Yuugi, he would be hard to imagine a more terrifying state of affairs. There was the duel with Jounouchi when he was possessed by Malik, but that was about it. Now, somehow, inexplicably, he was in a fine restaurant with _Anzu!_ Anzu, who had now put on makeup and done her hair, making her seem even more beautiful then she usually was, and that wasn't something that Yuugi would have believed possible. How, how was this happening? Crap, she was looking right at him now! She seemed nervous, and of course she was. Clearly the other him must have guilted her into this, she was always looking forward to some quiet time with the other him, and instead _he_ was here! Then she broke the silence, looking straight at him. "So Yuugi, have you found anything good yet? I think I've managed to narrow my menu down to six choices." Menu? That's right, he was holding a menu, and on it were a variety of entrees that spanned the world's culture of cuisine, but he could scarcely read any of them, not with Anzu looking so close to him. So close? This was a couple's table! The other him had set him up, only this was far smoother then he'd managed to pull the week before Battle City. Stay calm, the other him clearly had good intentions, no matter how ill-guided they were. He looked over the menu, wondering how he could possibly eat at a time like this, when he saw it. A… Fillet Mignon Burger? Made with 100 Omaha steak? Whole grain buns? Just below well done? This would be to the fast food burgers he frequently ate as they were to all other food. At least the food would be good, if not him.

"Actually, I think I have found something, but I'll wait for you to decide. I don't want to start eating before your food's gotten here." He said just before hiding behind the menu again, once again out of sight. This was an eerily familiar scene for Anzu. She remembered how the other Yuugi had acted when he realized that he'd been set on a date, and for once his armor of utter confidence fell apart, and he was the perfect image of awkwardness, signaling that it wasn't his choice to be here for all who chose to see it. For all that the two Yuugi's were two different people, they were alike in this. It was… reassuring somehow, that maybe she didn't have to worry quite so much about _which_ Yuugi it was that she "liked", if they shared such a strong similarity in this venue. And speaking of venue, here was something interesting: Sapporo Ramen, with squid, crab, butter, and bean sprouts. She could count the number of times that she'd had ramen that wasn't from a cup on one hand, and it was never Sapporo Ramen. If nothing else, her taste buds were going to be happy with today's events.

"All right then, I think we've both decided. _Garson!" _Scarely a moment later, a pair of waiters arrived to take their orders, and once they were transcribed, they were off to the kitchen as fast as they could while still maintaining their dignified postures. Yuugi could have sworn that they'd made a game of who could bring in the order to the kitchen first, but that could have just been his own take on things. Now he was here, alone with Anzu, and nothing to do but wait for the food to arrive and to pass the time. He had to do something, anything to make this her day, but what could he say that wouldn't lead to his foot being shoved down his throat? It seemed like he would never be able to think of anything to say, when she took the first step.

"Yuugi, with everything that's been happening lately, we really haven't had time to just sit down and talk, the two of us. Tell me, what are you thinking about right now? I'd like to know." He was thinking how much he wished that he could pinch himself and wake up from this dream. A date with Anzu, at a fine restaurant? It defied belief, and continued to defy belief with every passing moment, but that didn't make for good conversation. He put his fingers to his chin, as though musing, to buy himself some time. Oddly enough, it worked, and desperate to say something, he spoke the first words that came to mind.

"Well, I was thinking, when we're done here, maybe we could try to find a DDR machine? Because there's got to be one here, right? And then, maybe you could be the one on stage and the rest of us could be in the audience for a change?" He didn't dare to imagine what her response would be; he didn't want to be disappointed when the reality didn't match what he'd thought. Like now, she had this quizzical look on her face, as though she were… baffled? Confused? Wait, she's smiling, and it's not a humoring smile, at least he didn't think it was. She looked like she really did like what she'd heard.

"Yuugi, that's very sweet, but please, say what you mean. You meant to say 'you could be the one on stage, and _I_ could be in the audience for once.' Didn't you?" How'd she know? Of course she knew, she could always see through him. That was after all the only reason why she didn't try to go out with the other him, because she was worried about hurting him. Even after he'd made it clear that he was okay with how she felt about the other him. After all what other message could she have gotten from him setting her up with the other him? But now there was a shine to her eyes, and though it was gone a moment later, he recognized it from the way she looked at the other him. _That_ was definitely the dream part of this whole thing, as the odds of her looking at him that way were less then that of drawing Exodia the forbidden one. The irony of that comparison escaped his notice though, as now he was caught in her gaze. Her eyes weren't shining, she wasn't blushing, yet there was warmth all the same, something that he dared hope went further then friendship. That was when the waiters arrived, and their attention was now diverted to their food, which promised to be as delicious as they'd dared to hope.

_God, _this ramen was sooo good! Who would have thought that here, in California, she'd be having the best ramen ever served? And from the looks of things, Yuugi was really into that burger of his. Speaking of looks, she couldn't make any excuses or hide behind pretense this time. He hadn't just been finally rescued from the soul prison of Orichalcos, the other him wasn't waiting in the wings, hiding behind his eyes; she'd made damn sure of that. True, she wasn't flushed, blushing, awkward and shy the way she could get around the other Yuugi, yet there was good reason for that, wasn't there? It wasn't that she didn't _like_ Yuugi, it was that… this was the Yuugi that she'd been friends with for years before the other one showed up. She quickly stamped down certain uncomfortable memories that didn't belong at a time like this, and focused on the present. Yuugi didn't inspire a sudden flood of feelings the way the other Yuugi did, but rather a small yet pure stream, one that in the smaller moments would get dwarfed by the flood, yet was just as absolutely real nonetheless. Then she bit down on a choice piece of crab meat, and she practically shivered in response.

"Hey Yuugi, you've got to try some of this. It'll kick the stuffing out of that burger of yours." She gathered up as many noodles as she could before offering them to Yuugi, who was… not paralyzed, but stunned. He'd noticed the way she'd been eating her ramen, and though he knew that the whole concept was childish, he couldn't help but notice that this could fulfill the conditions for an indirect kiss. Did she realize it though? There was one way to find out.

"Only if you take a bite from my burger and find out what real food tastes like." The burger was small yet thick, and no matter how Anzu looked at it, there was no way to take a bite that didn't overlap with where Yuugi had been eating. Childish nonsense about indirect kisses rang in her head, the same sort of childish nonsense that said boys and girls couldn't be "just friends". More bad memories threatened to rush to the surface, but she promptly dammed them back down. Why the past seemed so eager to come to the surface, she couldn't say, but she wasn't going to let ancient history dictate how today was going to go. She reached out for his burger while using her other hand to send her noodles into his mouth. As she bit down into his burger, she could definitely see why he liked it so much.

Anzu made sure all the ramen got into his mouth before pulling her chopsticks away, so he was free to chew away. As he ate, he tasted the rich flavors that the noodles had bathed in, and though it wasn't fillet mignon burger, this was definitely really good. Then he noticed how they looked just then, feeding each other their own food, and he had to stifle a laugh, lest he spray ramen all over Anzu. This was how things were supposed to be with them, just two friends having a good time. No awkwardness about who loved who or anything like that. Yuugi didn't even notice the way he was looking at Anzu now that her mouth wasn't full anymore, nor did he see the way she was looking at him. As far as he was concerned, they were just being happy, and nothing else.

* * *

They'd left the restaurant some twenty minutes ago and as Yuugi had hoped, they'd found a DDR machine, though they did have to wait in line first, for like everything else in Kaiba Land, this too featured state of the art Solid Vision Holograms. With every proper step the illusions would become more elaborate, more beautiful, in the manner which best suited the song itself. Finally it came time for Anzu to dance, and she'd chosen some American techno song that Yuugi had never heard of, but as he saw the arrows flashing by the screen, it seemed absurd to him, who had always been lacking in physical grace, that anyone could possibly follow a routine like that. But now, for the first time, he saw what Anzu was capable of. Now he was watching her, and his heart beamed with joy, amazed that anyone could do what she was doing now. Duel Monsters was a game, one which at times took on much more dire importance then one might have believed possible, but it was still a game, but this? Her dancing seemed to him a way of life, a true expression of her inner nature, and inwardly he smacked himself for not having taken the time to see her dance sooner. He'd sometimes stay awake at night imagining what Anzu's dancing was like, but like a land-locked man imagining sailing on the open ocean, his visions were woefully inadequate. He cheered her on at the top of his lungs, drawing on all the times she'd cheered him on to guide his efforts. 

Anzu felt so at ease at this moment, just her and the machine flashing the pattern of the dance for her. God, it had been so long since she'd had the chance to let loose like this. How long ago was it since her "date" with the other Yuugi? She couldn't recall, it seemed like a lifetime ago, but all the same, the dance she did then seemed to resonate with the one she was doing now, even though the two songs were completely different, not to mention the holograms spinning into being above her. Although wonderful for the spectators, they were nothing but a distraction for her, detracting from the experience. Every so often one of the holograms would pass in front of the screen, blocking the directions, and just when it seemed like she was going to fall out of the rhythm of the dance, when his voice broke through the excited crowd. "COME ON ANZU, YOU'RE ALMOST THERE! JUST PUT YOUR HEART INTO IT AND YOU CAN WIN!" And just like that, she felt rejuvenated and couldn't miss a step even if she wanted to. Hell, she probably could have closed her eyes and still complete the song, though she didn't. No sense in being stupid after all, but all the same, she felt so confident in herself, and it was because _he_ was cheering her on. Finally she finished off the dance, and although it wasn't a perfect score, she came damn close.

God she was beautiful. Mind, she was always beautiful to him, but right now she was shining like a star. This was where he'd wanted to be for so long, to be the one who'd support her, who'd cheer her on as she did her best, like she'd been doing for him. It felt so good, he couldn't find the words, but that was okay. She came down from the platform, stretching her arms out, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Thanks Yuugi, that was really fun. Maybe we should just walk around for a while before getting back to the others." He nodded and they walked off as another young man made his go at beating the new high score.

The sun was now on the horizon, bathing everything in reddish gold, while every shadow grew to dwarf its source. Yuugi was intimately familiar with that sensation, since the other him was very much like his own shadow, even though he knew that wasn't literally the case anymore. Still, even though he was walking with his head held high, it was hard to feel that way next to the towering shadow that emanated from him, a shadow that was the same size as Anzu's. Seeing the shadows side by side, he felt that inner pang that told him that this couldn't be, not for him, but only for the other him, and even then not really. The time when they would have to say good-bye to the other him was rushing towards them, but could he? Selfish though it was, Yuugi wanted the other him to stay with him forever, even if it meant depriving the other him of his own memories, even if it meant that she would be thinking of him whenever she said-

"Yuugi, what's wrong? You're not supposed to be feeling down, not after today. Come on, you can tell me." He couldn't though. Though it had never been spoken, Yuugi had felt a silent understanding between them, one in which he gracefully stood aside for the other him, and she kept her affections from being too overt in respect of their friendship. It worked for now, and so long as it worked, Yuugi wasn't going to jeopardize it all in favor of a single date that couldn't last beyond the moment.

"It's nothing Anzu; I just didn't realize how late it had gotten. This was really fun. It's a shame that we're going back to Domino tomorrow, I think the other me would have liked the chance to just walk around here too." She laughed for a bit.

"Don't worry about that Yuugi. The other you got to fight in all the duels today, so you get to see the sites. It's only fair, right?" Fair would be if he could be both himself and his other self, then she could have everything that she deserved, and he could be happy. No sense in dwelling on silly dreams though, he was bringing her down, and he had to stop it.

"That's right, fair is fair. And don't worry Anzu, you were great today. I can't imagine a better way to cap off the day then this." Suddenly, Anzu's cell phone began to ring. She brought it to her ear, then immediately pulled it away. Rebecca's voice rang out loud and clear for Yuugi to hear.

"GOD-DAMN IT, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU ANZU? YOU'VE HAD PLENTY OF TIME WITH THE PHARAOH, NOW IT'S MY TURN TO BE WITH MY DARLING!" The violent assault on their ears now having come to an end, Anzu brought the cell phone back to her ear.

"Actually, we're on our way back Rebecca. If you could be just a little more patient, we'll be there before you know it." Rebecca seemed calmed by this.

"That's fine. I just thought that you might be doing something unsavory with the Pharaoh, and I'd like to remind you that he's still using my darling's body, so I'd much rather that you didn't." Rebecca hung up before Anzu could say anything, which was just as well. Anything she said in response would have been rash and ill-thought out.

"Well Yuugi, looks like our little date is coming to an end. We should probably have the other you come out before we get there. Wouldn't want the little American to get the wrong idea about today, would we?" He laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Let me just talk to him for a moment and we can work out the details." As he dived within his soul to find the other him, Anzu watched him, silently thankful that the other him gave them this day. Maybe, just maybe, there could be another one like it, somewhere down the line.


End file.
